By Daniel Tyokua
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA)on Tuesday, demolished over 2,000 unplanned structures at Ruga community on Airport road.
Director Development Control, Muktar Galadima, who led the team in Abuja, urged the owners of the plots to come and take over their properties immediately or risk revocation of the plots.
He lamented that it is totally unacceptable that after clearing the area, the owners do not develop the plots which makes shanties and illegal structures to spring up again in the same area after a few years.
Galadima warned the squatters that wherever they go to the bulldozers and machine will follow them.
“This is part of general city exercise removing, removing shanties, barchers and illegal structures, obviously we have removed over 2,000 barchers.
“We are going to continue tomorrow because of circumstances beyond our control, we had to stop.
“The owners of the plot have to come and reclaim their properties or we will revoke them.
“For the squatters wherever they go we will follow them because if they think they are going to remove some of these items and go and settle somewhere else, we will follow them”.
He said, “For the owners of the properties they should come and take over their properties. Anyone who doesn’t come to take over their plots immediately, we will recommend them for revocation”.
The Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to FCT Minister, Ikharo Attah, said they had to halt the demolition in order for the members of the community to be able to park their belongings.
According to Attah, “the FCTA through development control came here to remove illegal structures at ruga community along the airport road, like what Director of Development Control has said they were here before and coming back shows consistency.
“Hopefully the removal will continue tomorrow.The Chief and others have come to appeal that they need to park out their belongings and vacate the place immediately that is why, that is why we have decided to give them till tomorrow to be able to park their things”
